Antique Secrets
by AnEchoOfTime
Summary: It starts when a female from Zim's past comes with a gift and a secret...
1. Tis

Prologue  
  
"Wait..... Wait..... Just a little bit further" The pregnant female Irken was willing the egg inside her to wait until she had landed. In the immense amount of joy she was feeling at seeing Zim after all these months, she was growing distracted. At the prospect of seeing him, she didn't even think he might reject her, or have forgotten about her. She just set the coordinates to look for where Zim lived, and when it did, she just sat back. Occasionally she would start breathing quickly, and pain would contort her face. Then with tears in her eyes, she would hold her stomach, and begin talking to herself again. She was hoping beyond hope that the egg would be able to wait until she landed and gotten comfortable. Relief washed over her as she saw Earth.  
  
***********************************************************************Later***************************************************************************  
  
"Gir! I order you to stop squeaking that infernal pig!" Zim was trying to upgrade his Pak, and trying to make Gir stop squeaking his pig, but he could not do them both at the same time.   
  
And then, to add to the racket and distraction, the bored voice of the computer boomed out, "Visitor at the door."  
  
Zim paused from working. /What the.....?/ Zim thought to himself. /Why didn't the gnomes get them?/ Zim sighed, then grudgingly put his Pak back on. He walked over to the elevator, got inside, told the computer to take him to ground level, and began to ascend. When he got out, thoroughly annoyed, he put on the contacts and wig. Still pondering why the 'visitor' was not considered an intruder, he warily opened the door, expecting to see a human. What he saw knocked him off his feet, but, luckily for him, the spider legs from his Pak caught him just in time.  
  
There was a female Irken, she had large large lavender eyes. Zim recognized her. "Tis?! What the... What happend? You're... You're.... You're fat! What the fuck happened to you?!"   
  
Her eyes shone with joy, turning to increduality. "I'm not fat, idiot!"  
  
"Then how....?" Zim was genuinly clueless.   
  
"Oh, gee Zim, I wonder." She began sarcasticly. "Hmmm... Maybe it was caused by what we did that last night we were together."  
  
Realization struck. Suddenly, it all came back. "Awwww, FUCK!" And then, the egg took the perfect chance to end the conversation (A/N: it already ended anyway but you know what I mean....). Agony contorted the features of Tis's face. She screamed in pain. And of course, Zim was STILL in shock, so he did nothing. However, in some remote, distant part in Gir's mind, he knew he needed to do SOMETHING, so he threw his rubber pig at Zim. Which was just enough to bring him back to reality.   
  
"Fuck! What to do? What am I supposed to do?" Zim was frantically racking his brain.  
  
"Take...... Me...... Inside....." Tis said in a barely audible voice. Every word was painful to her, but he obviously needed help on how to help her.   
  
"Huh? Oh yeah! Of course!" He said. /Why didn't I think of that?/ he thought to himself as he gently picked her up. "Shhh, shh, its okay... You're going to be okay... Don't worry, I'm here." He was being so uncharacteristicly tender with her. Although he knew that she was feeling alot of pain, he had no idea the immensity of it. He could only get an inkling of an idea as Tis screamed and sobbed, her body convulsing and twitching. He took her inside, and gently layed her on a bed.  
  
************************************************************************Meanwhile********************************************************************  
  
Dib let the binoculars drop from his grasp. /Did I just see what I think I did?/ Dib was shocked. He couldn't believe it. He just saw a female Irken nearly give birth... He had heard what was said between Zim and Tis... /So, Zim has a family now./ He thought. /This should be... Interesting./ Curiosity overcame the boy, and since he figured Zim was off gaurd, he set off to get a closer look.   
  
*****************************************************************************Later*********************************************************************  
  
Tis was cradling a small egg, keeping it close to her body. Zim was watching her, smiling. He was still rather shocked, but joy overtook. Unconciously, he had fine tuned all his senses, ready to protect his love and his unhatched smeet against anything that could threaten them. Tis was just about to go to sleep when a SIR unit with aqua eyes took the egg with unbelievable swiftness. It was just opening its mouth to say something but before he could, Tis promptly took the egg from his grasp, and knocked him off the bed.  
  
"You stay away from here Gir!" Zim yelled, enraged that Tis had been bothered, and that the egg had been taken. Gir's antenna drooped with sadness. He snapped out of it quickly saying, "Oooooh, who's the lady?"   
  
"Just go Gir!" Zim was livid with him.   
  
"Awwww, okay." He said and then went to the living room, plopped down on the couch, and turned the TV on to watch 'Idiot Trauma Center'. Currently there was one on where a thin man with bright red spikey hair and glasses was recuperating from an operation to get a perhanna out of his stomach.   
  
"Good. He's gone now." Zim sighed. "How are you feeling?" He asked.   
  
"Fine." She said. After Gir had surprised her with his 'attack' on the egg, she had been roused, and was now sitting up in bed, keeping gaurd. She was looking around the room, turning her head. She looked out a window, and saw Dib staring at her. Quite bewildered, she froze. "Zim..." She said quietly. He turned his head and saw him too.  
  
Dib finally realised he had been spotted, so he made a run for it. However, Zim and Tis were too quick. They lept out of the bed, sprinted toward the window, and jumped out. "DIB! You evil little basturd!!" Zim was positively furious, as was Tis. Dib, on the other hand was terrified. He was even more so when he felt two pairs of arms wrap around him and push him to the ground. He just closed his eyes, feigning unconciousness. He felt his heart thumping in his chest as he was lifted by Zim.   
  
"How pathetic," said Zim scornfully. "Faking unconciousness... Tisk, tisk, tisk....How cowardly."   
  
Dib's face burned. He snapped his eyes open, "I am not a coward!" He said indignantly  
  
"Oh, really?" Tis raised a non-exsistant eyebrow. "Then why you were acting unconcious?" She asked him.  
  
"Ummm... Heh heh, I was just resting my eyes." He couldn't understand why he was embarrassed about his actions.  
  
"Right...." Zim and Tis said in unison, both skeptical.  
  
There was silence. Soon they were all in Zim's (and now his new family's) house. Zim was absolutely enraged. Once they were inside, Dib was uncerimoniously dropped. Zim began.  
  
"WHAT DO YOU THI-"  
  
"Zim," Tis cut him off, glaring at him.   
  
"Wha-" He began, then cut himself off. "Oh." He suddenlly realised he had been walking on the grounds of a mother. It was her that had layed the egg, and since Dib had seen it, it was her job to inquire Dib. "Right... Sorry."  
  
"That's quite alright. Now, please... Hold the Earthling." Zim did as she said.  
  
"Now, Dib is it?" Dib nodded. "Okay then. What do you think you were doing?" Anger overtook her, but she remained calm.  
  
"I was... Spying." His voice was more timid than he wanted it to be.  
  
"On Irk, it isn't right to be spying on the /personal life/ of another. I don't believe it to be acceptable on Earth either. Am I right?"  
  
"....Yes...." He still sounded more scared than he wanted. /What's wrong with me?!/ he thought angrily. /I have to stop showing weakness/ He silently resolved.  
  
"Then why did you do it?" She no longer sounded so angry. Just curious.  
  
"..." Dib averted his eyes. "....I.... I guess.... I guess I was just.... Curious...." "I mean, I spy on him anyways... I... I... I just want to know his weaknesses, that way I can stop him before he conquers Earth. Earth IS my home." His voice was strong now, and he was looking her in the eyes.  
  
Tis suddenly looked pained. She looked at Zim, who promtly dropped Dib and, with concern etched in his face he hurried over to Tis and hugged her.  
  
"What's wrong?" He was quite worried about her. She said nothing. "You can tell me /anything/."  
  
"Can I tell you... The truth?" She looked away from him.  
  
"Well, of course... Aren't you supposed to...?" He said, rather bewildered with what she just asked him.  
  
"Okay. Sit down... This ought to be hard." She said quietly.  
  
Zim plopped down on the couch, looking quite puzzled. /I wonder what she's going to tell me?/ he thought. /She's acting like its going to be bad... Will it be?/ Zim was getting worried now. Soon though, his pondering ceased as he heard her clear her throat. He met her eyes. They looked sorrowfull, pained. He was growing more worried by the second.  
  
She looked like she regretted ever saying she would tell him. "You aren't on Earth to take it over-"  
  
"Of course I am! The Almighty Tallests-"  
  
"Don't interrupt!" She nearly screamed. "Now, I will continue." She cleared her throat. "You aren't on Earth to conquer it." She paused. "Your on it..." She sighed. "Your banished on Earth, Zim. You're not an Invader."  
  
Zim opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He was numb with shock. Part of him was screaming in protest, the other (larger) part knew she was right. That part knew all along. /I can't believe this.../ /Well, actually I can... We love each other, she wouldn't lie to me./ Zim was so deep in thought he didn't realise Tis hugging him, or Dib staring at him, open-mouthed.   
  
Part of Dib was laughing at Zim. /I win Zim. You lose. You couldn't have won anyways, but still..../ Another part was sympathising, /Your an outcast of an un-fair society... Just like me./ He too was deep in thought. So deep, he didn't realise this was his chance to escape. He just stared.  
  
After a little while, Tis went over to the bed, and picked the egg up. She brought it over to Zim. "Zim. Look. This is our child. Be glad we're on Earth. It'll never have to grow up the way we did. It'll grow up with love and caring. Knowing love. Knowing what love is. It'll never be lost or confused like we were. It'll grow up with actual parents. We'll give it the childhood we never had."  
  
Zim's eyes cleared. He looked at the egg, then at Tis. He smiled weakly. "You.. You're right.. It'll have a good life.. I.. I.. I know it will.. And we'll tell it all about Irk.. So it'll know.." He was talking weakly, trying to stop the sobs that threatened to surface.  
  
  
  
They didn't even notice Dib still staring at them. Finally snapping out of it, he made a run for the door, and left, sprinting all the way home, and never looking back over his shoulder. /I don't care if I was caught... I've gotta see Zim snap... He won't be able to take care of a kid... Heheh, this'll be good.../ 


	2. Fighting

Zim looked over at Tis. She was cuddling the egg, looking hopefull. "Tis... What's wrong?"  
  
Tis had been up the past few weeks, not a bit of sleep, and, needless to say, she looked awful. "Zim... I thought you knew." Zim looked puzzled. Tis sighed, "Well, the thing is that... Well, the reason why Irken smeets are produced in labs is because very few female Irkens can lay eggs." She paused. "And, normally when they do, its a dud... I'm just afraid that I have the ability to lay an egg, but it won't be alive when it hatches."  
  
"...Oh..." Zim went over to her. "I'm sure it will be fine... It just has to be. After all, it is the smeet of The Almighty Zim!" He exclaimed, shooting a fist into the air.  
  
Tis rolled her eyes. "You know... Its OUR child. Not just yours."  
  
"...Yeah...I know..." He more or less mumbled, quite deflated.  
  
***************  
  
Meanwhile, Dib (A/N: I would put Dib Membrane, but Membrane isn't his last name... Membrane is his Dad's first name... No one knows their last name.) was watching this (of course). He didn't know why. He just felt pulled there. Something was bringing him there. He couldn't tell what though. 'What could this be? Why am I here?' Dib was pondering about this as Tis glanced at him. Their eyes met.  
  
  
  
~Hello Dib.~ Dib jumped. "GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!!" He was quite bewildered. He was sure he just heard Tis's voice in his head! 'I must be going crazy... Yeah, thats it..'   
  
  
  
~No Dib. You are not going crazy. It is I, Tis, entering your mind. Do-~ 'AAAAAAAAH! Get outta my head! Its MY head, you stay out you creepy bitch...witch...thing.' Silence. 'MAN! That was lame!' ~Indeed.. As I was saying.. Now I forgot.. Wait. It came back!~ This last bit was added with quite a bit of triumph, and since there was a pause, Dib decided to take this as his chance to intervene: 'Hey! I don't care wha-' Only to be cut off again.   
  
  
  
~I am losing my patience!~ Her voice was now booming in his mind. The pain was excruciating. He felt like he'd rather tear out his own ears. 'OW! What the fuck! You bitch! You fucking bitch!' He was in pain. And she could feel it. She had willingly opened herself to him, so they shared feelings, and physical senses. At least at this moment. At the same instant that Dib uttered those last words however, he could feel her anger mounting, worsening. But, she was able to keep it under control.  
  
  
  
~Dib. You have witnessed the laying of this egg, you have witnessed Zim and I hoping that it will be fertile. And.. The time of hatching draws near. Do you wish to be present? With my permission, that is.~ 'Wha... Why? Why would you let me? Why would you...?' ~Do you not remember?~ '.....Remember...Remember what?' Just as she was about to tell him, however, she felt something. A mental barrier. He wanted to know, yes. No. Remember. He wanted to remember. But, he wasn't able to. He wouldn't be able to take it.   
  
~I'm... So sorry. I cannot tell you, it would be too much...~ Her voice trailed off. 'Tis?' No reply.  
  
***************  
  
"Tis... Tis..." Zim's voice seemed so distant to Tis while conversing with Dib. This went on for quite awhile. "Hello! Tis! Wake up!" Zim was whining now. "What happened? What's wrong?"  
  
"Zim..." Tis was frantically racking her mind for an excuse. "I... I'm just tired. You KNOW I haven't slept in weeks. I was just zoning-out."  
  
"Why don't you get some sleep? I can watch the egg. I'll wake you when it hatches." His voice was filled with apprehension.  
  
"Zim," she said sharply, "I'm fine. Although I appreciate your caring, you don't have to constantly look after me. I'm not a smeet."  
  
"Yeah well!...Then... Then...Rrrrrrrrrrg!" Zim was quite exasperated for not knowing a comeback. He stomped off towards the trashcan so he could get to his labs, but stopped, realising he couldn't fit. "Tis..." He said warily. She said nothing. "Why... Why are we so much taller now?"  
  
"Well Zim," She sighed, "I believe its a matter of survival. Now that we're parents, we've grown taller to... To... To better protect our child I guess."  
  
"Oh... COOL! I'm... Able to rival the 'Almighty Tallest' (he said 'Almighty Tallest' mockingly) I do believe! Not that I want to be the ruler of the empire, but I'm gonna talk to them just to scare the shit outta them! Ha, ha! Wait until they see me! They'll probably wet themselves with fright!"  
  
And with that, he marched over to his elavator. "Computer! Take me to the lab. I've much to do." And he began his descent. He snickered, thinking about how The Tallest would react to his increased height. 'Heheh... This oughtta be goooood' He thought. The elevator came to a halt. Zim stepped out into his labs, and walked happily over to his communicator screen, a wide grin on his face. "Computer! Transmit to th-"   
  
"Hiya Zim!" And Gir came along, holding a chocolate bubblegum Brain Freezie. (A/N: I woulda called by its real name Suck Monkey: From Invader Zim but that name sounds so... wrong. I have SUCH a sick mind :P).  
  
"GIR! You shall call me master!" Zim was quite taken aback by this strange show of disrespect. Even though Gir WAS insane, and disobedient, still, Zim was always called master by him, because he IS Gir's master, after all.  
  
"No way! I ain't gonna be callin' the green man 'master' any longer! I ain't your slave!" Gir said defiantly.  
  
Zim, on the other hand was baffled. "You've been watching too much TV..." Zim shook his head in disgust. "Gir... I AM your master. Now... Go see what Tis is up to. Tell me if anything bad happens. And remember, I AM your master. Now go."  
  
"Ooookeeeey-dooookeeeey!" Gir said, and ran off, screeching like a banshee (A/N: I like the band Siouxsie & The Banshees. Off topic, but I HAD to say that.)  
  
  
  
***************  
  
Zim chose about the worst time possible to send someone to spy on Tis, for at that moment, Dib was with her, and they were.... Hugging! (?) Now, let us go back in time a bit, to the time right after Zim went into his labs.  
  
***************  
  
"Why won't you tell me! I WANT TO REMEMBER! I REALLY DO!" Dib was yelling at Tis. He just wanted to know how Tis knew him. "I WANT ANSWERS! NOW!" He bellowed.  
  
Tis was looking at him helplessy. Suddenly, she broke down and cried, sobbing into her blanket. "Oh... Oh Dib! If... only... you... knew..." She said, between her sobs and shudders.  
  
Dib was just about to yell again, but paused. Wait... Was it Daja Vu, or did he somehow know that way of breaking down and sobbing? Yes! It was somehow familiar. 'That sob is so familiar... Wait, what's more, that voice seems familiar now!' He pondered this for awhile, ignoring Tis completely. 'And those eyes are familiar too... WHAT'S GOING ON?!' Needless to say, he was quite confused (A/N: Wait... If it was needless, why did I say it? Oh well. The world may never know). 'And... Wait a minute! Wait just a poly-picking minute! (Happy Noodle Boy reference! XD) 'Even the name... Tis... Tis... TRISS! Oh my god! I think she's Triss!' Dib took a tentative step towards Tis, and put his hand on her shoulder. Tis looked up at him. "A... Aunt Triss?"  
  
Tis looked up at him and nodded. "Yes Dib. Yes." Dib and Tis stared at eachother for awhile.  
  
'Oh my god... Its Triss! Aunt Triss... If only I could remember more! All I can remember is her...' He was so deep in thought, so numb with shock, that he didn't even notice Tis hugging him, sobbing into his black trenchcoat. Finally, he recovered, and hugged her back.  
  
And, of course, someone had to break this silence. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!" Zim bellowed, looking a mixture of confused, angry, helpless, and hurt.  
  
Dib broke away from Tis, and stomped over to Zim, "Don't you DARE hurt her!" He said fiercly. He was ready to fight Zim.  
  
Zim just glared, then suddenly his eyes softened as he looked at Tis. "I love her... Why would I hurt her?"  
  
"I don't know, and don't care! But, just so you know, I would do ANYTHING to protect her! Don't hurt her!"  
  
"I WON'T!" Zim bellowed back. Zim looked rather hurt. "I don't know if on Earth you hurt people whom you love, but I love her, and wouldn't hurt her for any reason."  
  
Tis was watching, helpless, as two people she loved, each in a different way, were fighting. Both were on her side, but against eachother. 'I can do nothing...' She felt so helpless, so lost. So she did the only thing she could do: cry. She cried and screamed like the lost being she was. She screamed out her anger, cried out her agony. All this because of Zim and Dib fighting. 'WHY?! Why does this always happen to me? Always... Whenever I love someone, someone always steps in the way, ruining it. And it always has something to do with this planet. Earth. First Mari, (A/N: I'm gonna pretend that's Dib's mom's name, k?) now Zim and Dib. Both of them love me, each in a different way, but they hate eachother. Of course, it was different with Mari...'  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*FLASHBACK BEGIN*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
An unconcious Tis lay in the ruins of a Voot Runner, blood trickling down her face. A girl who looked much like Gaz does except with her eyes opened, and hair styled differently ran up to her, astonishment and triumph written on her face. "Ah, I, Mari, finder of alien. I like the sound of that." It quickly turned to concern however as she saw Tis, nearly dead. Without another word she picked her up and carried her away to her house.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*FLASHBACK END*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
  
(A/N: I'll give you more of her past soon. Only little bits at a time. 'Cause I'm evil.)  
  
Tis was continuing to cry. Zim and Dib were continuing to yell. Gir, hearing the noise upstairs, decided to come up to see what was happening. Upon seeing Tis, some deep, distant part of his little retarded being, he registered that she was in distress. "Looks like someone needs a hug!" And he ran up to her and hugged her tightly. Tis gasped, and in her shock stopped crying a bit. Finally, she even began to hug him (her? it? *shrugs*) back. Even though she knew he didn't understand why she was crying, all she knew was that, maybe, he did care in a way.  
  
"Hey! Guys!" She got their attention. "Look! There you are, fighting about me, and I've been crying the entire time, and you haven't even CARED! Look at this! The one that truly cares, that really wants to comfort me, is a retarded S.I.R. unit! You two are so caught up in arguing, that you forget about the very thing that your arguing about in the first place! You seem to care more about your rivalry than me." As she said these words, more tears stung her eyes. She didn't really know why.  
  
Zim and Dib were now racing to her to comfort her. Not that they were far away. Actually only a few feet. They came to her. However, instead they just glared at eachother. Zim, full of hurt, pain, and anger about what the Tallest had done to him, decided to take it out on Dib. He leapt at him. Zim punched Dib, kicked him, scratched him, anything to cause Dib pain. Anything. Tis watched in horror, speechless. As Zim stopped to take a breath, Dib overtook him. He tackled Zim, just as ready to do the alien harm as Zim was to Dib. None of the two ran, or tried to evade or escape. They both had anger to let out. And it all had something to do with Tis (A/N: You'll learn more later. Trust me ;) ).   
  
'What can I do to end this?' Tis thought frantically. 'What should I do? What should I do?! WHAT SHOULD I DO?!' In her frustration, she screamed. It was a scream that seemed to last for an eternity. Finally, she stopped, and silence prevailed. Zim and Dib looked at her, expecting her to say something. She didn't. No one did. The only thing heard was Tis's breathing, which was shallow and ragged. The air seemed thick to her. Thick with sadness, anger, and silence, as if these were solid things. However, soon Tis's breathing quieted, and there was nothing besides silence. The silence was so great, that soon, the only thing that penetrated it was a cracking sound. One thought that had earlier slipped from everyone's minds escaped their lips simultaneously.  
  
"The egg!" 


	3. The birth

Tis was the first to get to the egg. She then ran off, into her bedroom, and gently laid the egg on her bed. A frantic, panicked look came onto her face. Her eyes were wide with fear as the egg was shaking and cracking feebly. 'Please... Let it live when it comes... Please... I can't lose another member of my family I loved.'  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*FLASHBACK BEGIN*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"You are Mari's family, correct?" A doctor with a tentative tone in his voice asked.  
  
"Yes... We are..." Replied Professor Membrane. He was fidgiting with worry. 'I worked so hard on the cure... Please, let her be alive... Let her be cured... God, I don't know what I would do without her...' He thought worriedly.  
  
"Ahem... Well, I'm very sorry to inform you, that Mari has just passed away. She died this morning in her sleep." He looked truly pained to say this, as if he didn't want to, but was forced.  
  
"Dead? Died? What does that mean? Where's mommy? When will she be back daddy?" Dib queried, not understanding what happened, but sensing it was bad. "Daddy?" He asked, for Professor Membrane was sitting down, completely silent, gently rocking back and forth. "Daddy..?"  
  
Tis too was numb with shock. However, Dib's questions were able to penetrate her thoughts.   
  
"Dib... Gaz... Your mommy is dead... That means she won't come back. Ever." She said as tears flowed freely, silently down her face. 'Its funny... Here I am crying... Only humans cry... Mari... You taught me how to cry.' She thought as her tears hit the ground, splashing together and creating little trails of tears on the sterile white floor of the hospital.   
  
"Gone... Forever? Where did she go? Why won't she come back?!" Little Dib asked, with his panic mounting.  
  
Tis, knowing nothing of Heaven or Hell, simply said, "To the stars. Where she'll be forever, in the beautiful heavens."  
  
"How did she get there? Why did she go there? Why did she leave us...?" Dib now had tears in his eyes, realizing that she was gone, but still not fully comprehending.  
  
"Well... Death is when you... When your spirit separates from your body... Its kinda like being cut in half... Your body is what ties your spirit to the material world. The solid world. And, one day, your spirit has to leave, for one reason or another. Her reason was sickness. She was very, very sick. So her body gave up, allowing her spirit to be free. Since her body is dead, she's gone. You'll never see her again. Neither will I..." Tis explained, sobs choking her and faltering her speech.  
  
Dib was still confused, not fully understanding it, but knowing one thing: His mother was gone. 'She's gone... She's never coming back... NO! I don't believe it! She can't be!'  
  
"MOMMY!" Dib screamed, running around the room, searching, overturning the furniture in the waiting area, as if he would find her, as if this was all a game of Hide-and-Seek, with a terrible, sick joke twisted in. "Where are you?! I'll find you mommy... I will! Don't come out yet... I'll find you myself!!" He was screaming, panicked, unbelieving. But still, part of him knew she was gone. 'Aunt Triss wouldn't lie about that... Plus, Daddy and her are crying... She really must be gone.' Even though this more rational part of him was there, he was continuing to scream and search. Eventually, Tis went and picked him up. He was trying to squirm from her grasp. "She's NOT gone!!! She CAN'T be!! MOOOOOMMEEEEEEE! Moooommmeeee! Mommy! Mommy..." He stopped squirming, and went limp in Tis's hold. The rational part took over, knowing she was dead. "Noooo...." He whined.   
  
His lips began to tremble, his eyes began to water. Dib began to cry. Gaz, however, blinked back all her tears, closing her eyes tightly. 'I have to be strong... I CAN'T cry... I WON'T cry...' Tis, who was hugging Dib at the time, finally looked over to Gaz.  
  
"Gaz, would you like a hug too?" Tis asked, coming over to her.  
  
"No." Gaz replied shortly.  
  
"You know Gaz, its okay to cry, and be comforted during times-"   
  
"NO! I HAVE TO BE STRONG!" Gaz yelled angrily.  
  
"Says who?" Tis asked. She was worried, and quite curious as to why Gaz wouldn't cry.  
  
"Says mom! She told me this yesterday! She did! She said: 'Gaz, be strong when I die. Your my little girl, and I love you. Move on. I know it will be hard for a girl to live and grow without her mother, but be strong. You may always think your different because you're growing without a mom. But I know you can live through it. Be my strong little girl, allow life to move on, be happy with what you have.' Thats what she said!"  
  
Tis tried to resolve, "yes... But being strong doesn't mean bottling emotions. It means living in this world, a young girl without a mother. You misunderstood her words."  
  
"Not-uh! I did not!" She turned and walked to the other side of the room, glaring at Tis. 'See mom! I listened to you... I'll be the strong little girl you want, always.'  
  
"Look Gaz!! I'm her older sister, the one she always called strong! And I'm crying! Its okay!" Tis walked up to Gaz and placed her hand on Gaz's shoulder. Gaz just turned the other way.  
  
"This IS what mom would've wanted." She muttered.  
  
Tis, at a loss for what to do or say, just backed away. 'Mari... You saved my life... I wish the cure I worked on with Membrane would've saved yours...'  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*FLASHBACK END*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Tis shook off the memory, returning to the current situation. "Please be alive... Please be alive..." She recited over and over. But then a thought ran across her mind. 'It needs a Pak!!' "Zim! Get a Pak made, RIGHT NOW!!" She ordered.  
  
"Huh? Oh yeah! Computer!"  
  
"Yes Sir." It said 'sir' mockingly, for it didn't like Zim being its master much.  
  
"Create an Irken Pak for this child NOW!" He demanded.  
  
"M'kay. Processing. Processing! PROCESSING! PROCESSING GOD DAMNIT!"   
  
In a matter of minutes, there was a mini-version of the standard issue Pak in front of Zim. "Ahhhh, perfect." He said as he walked over to Tis and gave it to her. She had a far-away look in her eyes as she accepted it, nodding vaguely. She was currently in a dream-like state, not alert to her surroundings except for one thing: the egg. She was focusing on nothing but that. Suddenly, a small, pale mint hand burst out of the pink and green spotted egg. Then another. Next, came two little feet, barely escaping the shell. Zim, Tis, and even Dib were watching, and were quite surprised when, suddenly, with a burst of egg shell bits, came the entire smeet, landing on its front limply, and failing to move. Immediatly, two cords with spikes on the ends came out of Tis's Pak, and went into the smeets back, putting two holes in it. They then retracted as quickly as they came out. While they were retracting, Tis swiftly stuck the Pak into the smeet's back, aligning the spikes in it with the holes made by the cords. Tis's and Zim's breathing quickened with the mounting suspense, tension, and worry.  
  
However, this was short-lived as in a few seconds, there came the sound of a quiet intake of breath, and the smeet stood. The smeet was pale mint in coloration, with large crimson eyes. It had beautifully curled eyelashes and antennae. A girl.  
  
Tis held up her child and began to dance around the room, spinning and twirling the little girl, chanting, "Its a girl! Its a girl! Its a girl! Its a girl!" Over and over again. Soon she began to leap about the room, still chanting, just letting out the immense joy she felt at having a child. She abruptly stopped, however, and calmly walked over to Zim. She then stuck the smeet in front of Zim's face, leaned towards his non-existant ear, and made as if to whisper, but instead yelled, "IT'S A GIRL!!!!"  
  
This was proceeded by Zim screaming in surprise, Tis screaming back at him just for the hell of it, and the smeet and Gir screaming because it was fun. Dib just watched with an eyebrow cocked, shaking his head sadly. "I always thought MY family was dysfunctional," he began, not even being heard amongst the din and noise. "but you just proved me wrong."  
  
Tis, not even hearing him, finally realised she was the only one left screaming. She blushed a little bit, but quickly snapped out of it. "Its a girl. And you know what?" She asked in a playful tone.  
  
"What?" Zim replied rather unenthusiastically, hoping she wouldn't yell again.  
  
Tis gleefully help up the little girl and happily squeaked, "She has your eyes."  
  
Zim was taken aback, and gasped in surprise when he realised she was right. "Wow... I... I don't believe it..." He was practically speechless. Then he walked over to the bed where Tis was, and kneeled in front of her. Without a word, he gently took the child out of her grasp. He stared silently at her, studying her face, for what seemed like a very long time. "What will we name her?" He asked abruptly.  
  
Tis opened her mouth, as if to say something, but, thinking of nothing, she closed it and shrugged. But then she finally did say something "I don't know... Never thought of that to be honest. Huh. I can't think of a thing."  
  
"Wait!" Zim said suddenly. "I know!" He paused, allowing the suspense to mount. After a while he said, "HER NAME SHALL BE ZIM!!!" With his voice thick with triumph.  
  
Silence. The sort of incredual silence, the kind that crickets chirp to. The crickets seeming to say 'Zim, your a fuckin' idiot.'   
  
"WHAT?!" Zim queried, anything to break the awkward (for him) quiet. "What's wrong with that name?!" He more or less demanded.  
  
".... That's YOUR name... And YOU are a guy... WE CAN'T HAVE TWO ZIM'S! ESPECIALLY OF DIFFERENT SEXES!!"  
  
"..." Zim sniffed, then whined, "And why not?"  
  
"You just don't get it, do you?"  
  
"Er, I have a name for her..." Dib said tentativley. He was rather afraid of what would happen next, after all.  
  
"Yes?" Asked Tis.  
  
"...M....Ma...Mari?" He actually asked. It was the name of his mother, and he thought that should be the smeet's name.  
  
"... Yes.... But that will be her middle name... I'm sorry." She added quickly, sensing Dib's sinking heart. "Its too... Human. We want her to have an Irken name."  
  
Dib sighed unhappily. "Okaaaaay... Well, how about... Ranna?  
  
"... Perhaps, it IS quite pretty... Maybe."  
  
"Or maybe Ervae." Said Zim shortly.  
  
"Or Erva..." Tis mused, quite awed at Zim showing intelligance that day.  
  
"I like Eva." Stated Zim.  
  
"EVA IT IS!!!" Zim and Tis screamed simultaneously, causing Eva to let out a yelp of annoyance.  
  
Dib began to feel uncomfortable.  
  
Suddenly, Gaz was at the doorway. "DIB! Dad told me to tell you that-"  
  
Gaz's eyes suddenly went wide at seeing Zim and his family.  
  
Tis walked towards her and smiled benignly. "Hello, Gaz. Nice to see you again. It is I, your Aunt Triss, just so you know."  
  
"..." After a long pause, Gaz finally said three words, three words that would affect them all, that would tell them all about Tis...  
  
...The question that everyone had been itching to ask...  
  
"Where were you?"  
  
Elizadeth: HAHAHAHA!!! Cliffy!! Just so ya knows, the next chapter is when Tis will tell us EVERYTHING! YAY! But you *points to reader* will have to wait.  
  
Ps: Your reviews are like firewood!! The moer reviews I get, the faster I'll upload the next chapter!! Any thype of review is accepted, no matter what!! 


	4. The Past

Note: Sorry this took so long! Skool has been waaay too demanding. Not to mention the fact that I'm only at this house every other week, making it even harder. Well, I just now turned 13!! Yesh, I've been lying to you!! I was 12, but NOW I'm 13. So ha. Once again, I apologize for being so late in uploading this.  
  
Wheeeeeeee! I gots me a whole lotta Jhonen V. shirts and stuff!! My mom took me on a shopping spree... And I finally got my ears pierced! YAY FOR ME!!  
  
~~~~NEWS~~~~ I JUST FOUND OUT THAT INVADER ZIM WILL BE ON COMEDY CENTRAL IN ABOUT A MONTH!!! I'm happy, are you?  
  
~Beth  
  
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Dib's face changed from shock to self-incredulity. 'Now why didn't I think of saying that?' He thought, actually a bit freaked out that Gaz even cared.  
  
Tis sighed warily. She then began to wring her hands, looking worried. Everyone stared at her expectantly, waiting, like she were about to announce something really important. She sighed again, and the look on her face evolved into that of submission.  
  
"You really must know?" She asked, her eyes to the ground, her antennae pressed against her head. A tear heavy as gold fell to the ground. Everyone just nodded, not able to speak... In fact, they didn't want to push her. Except for Gaz.  
  
"Come ON! Tell us already!" She demanded, gritting her teeth and opening her eyes in anger.  
  
"Okay then. Sit down, get a refreshment..." Tis said, obviously procrastinating on what she was to say.  
  
Zim quietly went into the kitchen and brought out a few cans of the Irken version of Poop Cola, which was really pretty much the same thing. He gave a can to everyone, but he obviously didn't want to give one to Gaz or Dib. Yet he could tell that Tis was upset, and he knew her emotional instability. So he did anyways.  
  
Tis was moving her antennae in the gesture of extreme nervousness. Zim looked at her worriedly, his face seeming to say 'you don't have to.' Tis shook her head hard for a little while in defiance to her emotions. She looked at Gaz now, seeing how much she changed. Gaz just looked annoyed and impatient. Tis looked helplessly at all the faces.  
  
"The only reason I don't want to tell you," she began, her face dusky with worry, "is because I thought you might be ashamed about what I did..." She sunk to her knees, sitting on the ground. "But I will say it now. But first..." She said, and closed her eyes. Her eyes opened, then she looked around once more. Suddenly, an image of Tis was in everyone's heads. She was in a bedroom, curled up on the bed and she had no disguise on. She sat up and opened her eyes.  
  
Her eyes were bruise-purple from crying, and her tears were lavender--- her normal eye color. It was as if Mari's death had washed away the soft, happy color from her eyes, like her tears were stealing the color. She was choking and shuddering, looking at the white walls of her room. She curled up again, the tears streaking her face staining the white sheets of her bed.  
  
"After Mari died I just lived in grief. I wallowed in it. I had nothing to do, I had no one else. She was the only one... Before Earth, before her, I remember nothing. It is gone, the crash to Earth made me forget... My life. All I knew was that I wasn't human, and that I still had to find a way to fix my charred Voot Runner. I wanted to leave, but my crying made me too weak to get up... My grief and sadness and lingering love made me forget what was happening now. I should have reached out to Dib and Gaz... But I just stayed locked up in myself. For many weeks, I just thought 'I will give myself to no one... I will never love again...' "  
  
The Tis in the vision with the bruise-eyes and the purple-streaked cheeks got up slowly, a look of realization glazed with understanding and grief creeping upon her face. She hurried out of the room.  
  
"Suddenly I realized something." Tis said.  
  
The Tis in the vision was now hurrying through Membranes' household's hallway. She ran into the living room, where a drone-like looking little Dib sat on the couch, watching TV, but not really watching it--- his eyes were glazed, he wasn't seeing the TV. Gaz was just squinting at a Game Slave One. Tis ran up to Dib, grabbing Gaz in her arms on the way (getting a VERY annoyed look from Gaz) and gave them both in a hug. Gaz tried to squirm out of it, and Dib just lay limp.  
  
"Mom and I used to watch this show." Said Little Dib quietly, indicating the TV. It was Mysterious Mysteries.  
  
"We used to watch it together." Vision-Tis corrected. "All three of us..."  
  
"That day I resolved to be a mother to you two. Membrane was too locked up in grief... he just worked. He was a scientist, supposedly to help find cures for the world's problems... But he really wanted to cure his own. Like I, he had had a breakdown. We were both crazy at that time. I found a cure in you two. He found a cure in no one... In nothing. He had something, right under his nose, to use a human expression, yet he did not see it. He just tried to find a cure for his own problems, his own craziness." Said Tis (That's real Tis).  
  
"He always said I was crazy!" Dib exclaimed. "I guess he didn't want me to be crazy too... But why didn't he seek help?"  
  
"You know you're not crazy. And he knew no good would come by seeking help. He was crazy, but with an incurable disease. One that is quite common. He really could do nothing, although he wishes he could. Do you know what the disease that he has is?" Tis queried of her audience.  
  
They all shook their heads, including Eva. She could see what was going on, and, having an Irken Pak to give her the information, she understood most of the words said.  
  
"I shall tell you: Love. Chronic love, lingering love... He really did love her. And he always loved you children, and still does, although he doesn't act it. The only reason he is so distant from you is because he wants you to see that brave, intelligent Professor he is on the outside. He wanted you to see his strength; not the weak, sick man he really is. He doesn't want you to be ashamed of him.  
  
"And do you know why he wears those goggles all the time?" She asked.  
  
"Safety...?" Dib wondered.  
  
"No. He doesn't want people to see the sadness in his eyes.. The eyes ARE the key to the soul. He doesn't want others to see all the dry tears that leave his eyes continually, his eyes always red and puffy from crying phantom tears."  
  
Everyone was silent. Zim even began to feel for this broken family, seeing as he had a family now. He would feel the same way Membrane did if Tis ever died. He fidgeted uncomfortably, his antennae twitching slightly. Eva, seeing his discomfort, reached up to him. He picked her up, and hugged her tightly, her head on his shoulders.  
  
"No one can be as embarrassed of anyone as the Tallest are of me." Zim concluded quietly. Everyone stayed still, staring at him. The vision had been frozen in time for quite a while now, and they were curious as to what happened. Zim could tell, plus he wanted to know too. "Go on with the story." Zim murmured. He really didn't like everyone staring at him.  
  
"Oh, yes." Tis said quickly, blushing slightly. "Ahem... Well, I raised Dib and Gaz for about a year. I did everything I could, even though I was crazy. I honestly tried. It was hard, especially because I knew I was annoying Membrane."  
  
There were images floating by of Tis and Dib watching TV, playing games, visiting places, or doing homework. In many of these there was Gaz, in the background, playing her GS1, overshadowed by the other two. There were images of Tis talking to Gaz, a worried look on Tis's face. But Gaz was always ignoring her. There were even images of Membrane yelling at Tis, many times Tis on the verge of tears, looking at Membrane through a lavender glaze, perhaps a purple stripe on her face, or a tear like a jewel making its lonely journey down her cheek.  
  
"One day he was yelling at me, saying that he didn't need me to raise his kids. Finally he said: 'You really irk me Triss.' " Then it all came back. I didn't remember my past, but I remembered I was an Irken, from the planet Irk. I remembered how to fix my damaged Voot Runner. I couldn't take it anymore. With everlasting regret I began to spend all my time working on it. I had to find out about my past."  
  
In the vision there were now pictures of Tis working on a standard Irken Voot Runner. Other pictures showed her covered in oil and soot, looking none-too-pleased. The images were going in order, so they could see the improvement of the Voot over time, being repaired in a lab rather like Zim's.  
  
"When I was finished, I kissed Dib and Gaz goodbye. As Gaz sat alone on the couch, Dib was crying. 'Mommy left! Please don't go!' he said. I told him I had to, that it was important. When he asked if I would ever come back... I... I wasn't sure of my decision anymore. But I decided to keep it, and just said: 'I don't know'. As I left the house, walking down the path, I heard some noises and more crying. Membrane was holding a sobbing and screaming and squirming, kicking, and biting Little Dib back as I left, with Gaz in the shadowy corner of the doorway, so beautiful and delicate looking, except for the cold, hard look in her eyes."  
  
The vision showed just what Tis said, like a silent movie with a single narrator.  
  
"I never looked back again. As I punched in some random coordinates to the Voot's control panel, as I rocketed through the sky, higher and higher, I didn't look back."  
  
Suddenly, the vision diminished, and Tis began to rub her temples. Her throat was dry, so she took some big gulps of her Poop Cola. She went to Zim and quietly pried Eva away from him. She held Eva tightly against her, as if she would never let go.  
  
"I'm tired... too tired to use the visions anymore.... And to tell the story, so I'll summarize it from here." She looked to the others for consent. They all murmured an okay or nodded. So she went on. "Well, those random coordinates ended up taking me to... Of all places, Foodcourtia." She chuckled briefly at this, remembering it all. "Well, I got there, and, since I wanted to fit in so badly, I decided to begin working there. On my first days...weeks actually, I did terribly. I burned everything, I dropped everything, and I got angry at the customers very easily. There were quite a few injuries that were caused by me there." She blushed. "Everyone was so angry at me. Yet, instead of firing me, they paired me up with...Zim. That's right. I met my mate in a fast food restaurant. It was soooo romantic." She said sarcastically.  
  
"Well, although at first we hated each other, and wanted to be as far away from each other, and the fact that we were both provoked so very easily, and both had shaky pasts, we were forced to be together. Soon, there were rumors that he loved me. I was absolutely disgusted. How could I ever love someone so short? But soon...I don't know how, but I began to love him. Maybe it was because he was always there. Maybe he knew something about me. I don't know. But the scary thing was that when I saw him...I got this spooky feeling of deja vu. It was as if we once knew each other, as if we were once in love, as we were once...different Irkens, as if we once had different lives. And as if in that life we were together." She sighed sadly, emotion suddenly contorting her delicate features. "All we know. All we know is that we both have broken pasts. We both have a life- hole to fill. And we will" She said with a strange sort of strength and certainty. Her eyes flashed with determination.  
  
Zim smiled and crawled over to her, still holding Eva. Eva had been asleep, and now she opened her large scarlet eyes. She looked up at Tis, and lifted her arms, wanting to be picked up. Tis did, smiling the entire time. Eva began to pull at her mother's uniform near Tis's chest. Tis smiled sadly down at her.  
  
"Eva, honey, by being created in a genetics lab, I wasn't meant to have children... That's why you came out of an egg instead of live, and that's why I have no milk, or breasts for that matter. I'm sorry. We'll just have to feed you formula. But you were made naturally, so you are fertile, and you are going to be able to have babies normally."  
  
Eva's eyes quivered, and then she let out a wail to wake the dead. Dib, Gaz, and Zim covered their ears as Tis tried to comfort her. Tis continued to hold her, tears now coming to her eyes. She was ashamed. She was so ashamed that she couldn't care for the life she created. So ashamed that she couldn't care for the material token of her and Zim's love-  
  
No. Eva wasn't just the material token of their love. She was her daughter. And she was failing to be a mother to her. This made Tis sadder. But now, now there was also a burning determination within her.  
  
"COMPUTER!" She bellowed, trying to be heard over the screaming of her daughter. "Bring me some Irken baby formula ASAP!"  
  
"'Kay.." Grumbled the computer sourly. In a matter of seconds, there was a large bottle of it, nice and warm. Without a word, but with a triumphant grin, Tis picked it up and held it to Eva's mouth. Eva immediately chomped down on it and began to drink, looking content, her eyes closing dreamily. Everyone soon uncovered their ears tentatively, realizing that the wailing had stopped, yet still not quite sure. They all breathed sighs of relief simultaneously. Zim got up and brushed himself off. He went to Tis and knelt down beside her, his eyes alight with the love he felt for the two females who were for the moment both in the same state-of-mind: contentment. He wrapped his arm around Tis and kissed her cheek, rather cautiously. She, however, enjoyed the touch, and even turned her head so she could kiss him full on the lips. After recovering from brief shock, he responded. They didn't break the kiss until they were gasping for breath.  
  
Tis looked puzzled. "Zim, why were you so...shocked when I kissed you back?" She queried.  
  
Zim looked away. "Well, I thought that you hadn't quite forgiven me for leaving you like that. I certainly haven't forgiven myself yet." He said softly. His eyes met hers, searching her face.  
  
"Well, then forgive yourself. Forgive yourself and be done with it. I missed you too much to be angry. And too worried about what would happen to our baby." Her look darkened. "They would most likely perform tests on her. She is, after all, the first surviving naturally conceived smeet in centuries. I had to get the both her and I away from Irk before it was too late. This was the only place that came to mind, considering I thought only of you. Plus, this place is infested with water--- the Armada would never come here." She looked away, ashamed. "When I was pregnant..." She took a deep breath. "To tell you the truth, I barely even thought of coming to Earth to see you. I came here for Eva's safety. That was my top priority. I'm sorry. Its just the-just the rush of maternal hormones. They still linger even now, so I'm still quite emotional." She smiled apologetically. Zim just smiled back, completely forgiving her, and even forgiving himself. She noticed this, and hugged him tightly, her eyes alight with love.  
  
Dib cleared his throat loudly, obviously trying to get their attention. Tis turned to him, patiently waiting for what he wanted.  
  
"Its betting late, and Gaz and I are going to go now, 'kay?" He said, looking impatient.  
  
Tis frowned, quickly turning to a pout. "Okay." She said.  
  
Dib flashed a quick smile and got up, Gaz following him closely. Dib quickly crossed the room and went through the door. Gaz, however, sent a last lingering look at Tis. Her eyes were fully open, but there was no trace of anger. She turned around and crossed the room, almost reluctantly. Before going through the door, she pivoted her head slowly to face Tis. They locked eyes, if only for a brief moment, for then in the blink of Tis's eyes, Gaz was gone.  
  
There were a few minutes of silence, Tis, Zim and Eva rocking in each other's arms. They stayed like that for a long time.  
  
After a few minutes, maybe hours, maybe days for all they cared, Zim decided that they should go to bed. When he got up though, Tis didn't budge. She was just too tired, in mind, body, and spirit. Zim seemed to understand. He bent down and picked her up ever so gently. He carried her carefully all the way to his bedroom. There, he ordered the computer to erect a crib. It did so immediately. He gently pried Eva from Tis's grip and placed her in the crib. Then, equally as gentle, he lay Tis down on the soft bed. He pulled back the covers and climbed in beside her. He kissed her goodnight, and to his surprise, she wrapped her arms around him. He responded by wrapping his arms around her. They were soon asleep, wrapped in each other's embrace, and for the first time, they slept a full night, having the same dreams.  
  
Dreams of memories that were theirs, but couldn't possibly have been.  
  
What are these? And what are the feelings of deja vu that they are always getting for each other? Only Time can tell the truth of their broken pasts.  
  
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Umm, please review! I really want reviews. They make me feel good, and I read them when I'm depressed.  
  
Sad, isn't it? 


	5. Caught In The Rain

Hi all! Whatever happened to the concept of reviewing? Ah well, I'm writing this for myself anyways... Humph. But still, it does feel good to know that people are reading my fic... Well, except for KnuxZ... I know she is. But still, it feels good when others read it too! Like I said, I read my reviews when I'm feeling upset. Ah well, I don't need pity, so don't review out of pity. Review just to speak you mind about my story. I love hearing what you think about this! Anything at all, just tell me.  
  
Well, lately Skool has sucked, even though now I actually have FRIENDS! There was much rejoicing. I'm happy to say that, so far, life has been good to me.  
  
Once again, I bid thee adieu!  
  
Oh, by the way, reviewers will receive presents. This chapter's present: Goose foot print stamps that have become mutilated and now resemble a chewed up wad of gum with teeth bits sticking out.and.ovaltine!!  
  
~Beth  
  
* * * *  
  
Gaz was playing her Game Slave 2, and, ever so slightly, rocking herself back and forth. It was well past Midnight by now, but her crowded mind wasn't able to rest. Currently, her mind and emotions were being flooded with memories...ones she would rather forget...well, most of them, anyways.  
  
She was remembering the beautiful times when Mari, Tis, and her had taken Girls' Night Out, at least once a week. That would be the only time any of them actually acted girly. And my, those were wonderful times. When Mari, Tis, and Gaz were together, nothing could dampen their spirits. Not even a stray animal on the streets. They would just pick it up, clean it up, and find a good home for it. If it would rain right after their hair and nails were done, or right after buying clothes even, they would run in the rain, not caring how dirty it got them. Or, if it were scorching hot, they'd go out and eat ice cream. There was many a time when Dib would complain 'Daddy never takes me anywhere!' So, one day, the girls had taken him on Girls' Night Out. Needless to say, he never wanted to do that again.  
  
Gaz snickered at the pathetic sight of her brother struggling to leave as the scythe-like part of his hair was braided, and as his nails and toenails were being painted powder blue and baby pink... Ah, those were the days...  
  
...But then Gaz's mother had died...it was supposed to be another Girls' Night Out, but she had somehow consumed some sort of poison. The doctors concluded that it had been in one of her drinks. It was at a restaurant, so it could have been anyone.  
  
But Tis had known better. She had pointed out that the poison was a prototype from the lab. It had to have been another scientist. But did anyone listen? No. Of course not. And, what's more, Tis was the one who made the poison in the first place. Therefore, she knew how to counter- attack it. Membrane, however, Membrane had tinkered with it. He wanted to be the hero who saved the life of the top scientist of the world.  
  
That's right. Mari, Membrane's wife, was the top scientist. She's the one who ever gave Membrane his rank in the first place. And, despite the fact that Membrane was always busy, the top scientist always found time for her children.  
  
Anyways, Membrane had decided he wanted to make his own cure for the poison that was running its course through Mari. He wanted to play hero. However, he knew nothing of the poison, and he hid the actual cure from Mari. Nearly needless to say, Membrane's cure didn't work, and he ended up making Mari's death faster and more painful.  
  
Gaz remembered the haunting moments when Mari was moaning with the agony of the poison. The poison had blinded her, so she knew nothing but darkness in her last days of life. In her agony, she thrashed around like mad, and couldn't get a wink of sleep. Doctors would have to sedate her often. Gaz remembered the sobs echoing throughout the hospital room when Mari was holding her children, wanting desperately to see them...even if it was for the last time, even if she would only see agony mirrored in their gaze...  
  
Gaz shook her head hard, her hair furling out like petals. 'No!' she thought firmly. 'NO! NO!' She continued to shake her head, attempting to shake away the memories as well. Tears stung her heart, but, like all the other times, she forced them to stay there. She put down her Game Slave, finally realizing that it had said 'Game Over' for a long time now. Sighing soundlessly, she got up out of the corner of her room and moved to her bed. She pulled back the blankets and climbed in. Once again, she snuggled and clung to her spare pillow, yearning, not for the first, or last time, that she was a toddler again, falling asleep in her mother's embrace.  
  
'But Tis is here.' She reassured herself gently. And, for the first time, she thought that maybe, just maybe, she would be able to have her childhood's innocence, or at least a trickle of it, return in her fragile soul.  
  
***  
  
When Zim awoke, he realized that the space next to his bed was empty. He also noticed that the crib was as well. He was worried now, especially when he saw how the sheets of the bed and the crib were flung around, as if they had left in a hurry... Or worse...  
  
...As if there had been a struggle.  
  
Zim's hearts began to beat frantically, and panic filtered into his eyes. He was too shell-shocked to do anything at first. He just lay there, futilely hoping that this was all a bad dream, or that Tis and Eva would show up, their arms wide open, smiles plastered upon their faces, love shining in their eyes. But of course this didn't happen. He didn't really expect it to in the first place. He just held onto that thought as if it were his life line. Shaking uncontrollably from fear, he climbed out of the bed and planted his feet firmly on the ground. He tried to calm himself down, telling himself that they were okay. he, of course, couldn't believe himself.  
  
"Tis! Eva!" He called, trying to remain calm.  
  
The calmness didn't last long, as there was no answer to his calls. He began to walk across the room, then opened the door and called again.  
  
"Tiiiis!" No answer. Remaining silent, he carefully crept through the doorway and into the the open hall.  
  
"Tiiiis!!!" He called, worry now filtering into his voice. Once again, there wasn't a peep from anywhere in the house.  
  
"TIIIIS!!!!" He shrieked, once again met by only silence. He suddenly broke into a run and pounded through his base, going by and into everything, yet not finding what he was looking for. As he continued to call, he continued to be met by only silence. Soon, he was no longer screeching her name. He was sobbing it, trying to keep the crimson tears from leaving his eyes. He continued to run in panic, and because of it, he ran outside blindly, forgetting his disguise.  
  
He ran out into the cul-de-sac, the chill wind ruffling his antennae. With this he stilled and shivered, then realized he didn't have his disguise on. He flung himself back into his base and immediately shuffled through some costume bits and pieces. He decided on a gray t-shirt and a pair of black pants, along with a different black wig, this one with shorter hair, and the usual periwinkle contacts. Doing this in a hurry, the wig was rather disheveled and the shirt was on backwards. But he really couldn't care less. His top priority was to find Tis and Eva.  
  
When he reached the door, he took a moment to compose himself. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door. He forced himself to walk calmly out. That didn't last. In a matter of seconds, he was running as fast as his legs would carry him, barely aware of how weak they already were from running through the base earlier.  
  
Soon however, this fact overtook him, and he was forced to rest. He leaned against a lamppost, panting. At that point he actually began to take in his surroundings. The results made his blood run cold...  
  
...Men and women, crying together in a funeral procession, a coffin on its way to the colder, darker earth... A feeble old man looking confused, a younger one, who was obviously a worker at the local retirement home, holding his arm and leading him through the streets... Teenage girls in bikinis, strutting their stuff, their ribs and collar-bones jutting out alarmingly... A thin man being brutalized by many much larger men before being dragged away, kicking and screaming... A girl crying and screaming for her father as her mother hit her, as the father watched, doing nothing... Men and women sleeping on the ground, or begging for money, questioning, wondering if life was really worth it, wondering if God was real... A small child with fear in his eyes and a beat-up teddy bear looking for his way home... A man as he called out a female's name, for all the world having the same look in his eyes as Zim did...  
  
That was it. Zim couldn't take it anymore. He started walking again, this time slowly, with his eyes glaring at the ground. Yet, despite this, he was able to take in all the things around him. He searched all the faces, hoping he would find Tis's own, hoping his pain could be eased. Anyways, there were only two other Irkens in this city, and the city couldn't be that big, right?  
  
So Zim just kept on walking. He wandered the streets, weaved his way in and out of the crowd, just barely took in his surroundings as he wondered when his life started this downward spiral. But Zim kept on searching the faces. No matter how much he wanted to curl up, to withdraw himself, he continued to search all the faces closely...and because of this close searching, he saw the emptiness in all the peoples' eyes. These people were not blissfully unaware of the terror of the world; they just ignored it. This put even more of a damper on his already heavy spirits.  
  
Yet no matter what the streets threw at him, no matter what he saw, heard, or smelled, he still looked for Tis, still listened for her voice, still smelled for her lovely scent. No matter what, he continued to hold onto a thin, golden thread of hope, the very thread which will be used to tie his family back together. The very thread which was motivating him in the first place to find Tis and Eva. Love. The most powerful force of all. Albeit the most dangerous, the most terrible, the most treacherous.  
  
Zim shook these thoughts out of his head, and instead used all his thinking to be focused on Tis... On finding Tis. He had a task to complete.  
  
After a while, he decided to actually look in buildings. The first place he decided to go into was the closest McMeaties, because those were always crowded. He entered, and his senses were assaulted by the smell of frying flesh. He gagged a bit, but continued to walk. He pushed through the crowd, went up to tables, even asked around for a bit. But he didn't find even a clue as to where his family was. Sighing sadly, he exited out of the warm building, into the cold November air.  
  
Was that just his imagination, or did Zim just see a raindrop splash at his feet? With widening eyes, Zim realized that it was beginning to rain. He swore under his breath, and tried to turn and go back into the McMeaties. However, at that point a raindrop hit his bare head...then another. Soon, he was being assaulted by the raindrops. He could tell that his skin was being slowly dissolved.  
  
The rain just kept on getting heavier, along with the pain. In many places, Zim's blackened muscles were exposed, even those burning. Screaming with torment, both physical and spiritual, he writhed on the pavement, watching blurrily at the people who were staring at him, all with umbrellas and raincoats... His muscles, now blackened, were shivering in the cool air. Zim was too weak to get up, to scream, to cover his wounds, to care that people were watching stupidly as he suffered. Now he lay on the ground, gasping for breath as his throat was being burned, thinking only of his family in his blurry mind, about wanting to say 'I love you' a last time, just to say good bye...  
  
...Even through the darkness that the pain and the smell of his own burning flesh caused his mind, he was still able to register the fact that he was dying...  
  
***  
  
Tis was in a bar, shaking severely as she tried to calm her wailing daughter. The storm had taken them by surprise, and it didn't go without injury. As Tis was rocking Eva back and forth, she was examining her own blackened flesh. It was a sickening sight. Some of it was still smoking and steaming. Some inner tissue was exposed, and in a few, more tender areas, there was reddened muscle showing, twitching in the chill air.  
  
Forcing the bile down in her throat, she withdrew a small tube of burn ointment from her pocket. The first thing she did was spread it on Eva's burns. This didn't take long however, as they were small and few, for Tis had shielded her from the rain as much as possible, not thinking of the consequences. Her motherly instincts had told her one thing: protect the child. So she had done just that.  
  
After finishing with Eva, she decided to apply the ointment to her own, more severe burns. She put a bit on the tip of her finger, and, biting her lip, pressed it to one of her bare muscles...  
  
...Only to feel even greater pain. Only the slightest touch had caused her agony. She let out a little yelp, dropping the tube of ointment to the floor. Cradling her arm, she sobbed softly. She was just now beginning to regret leaving the base, leaving Zim.  
  
But she had been so scared, so very scared. She had had a dream; it wasn't terrible, but beautiful. But somehow it scared her. In the dream, Zim and her had been making love, but they were so much younger... Then, it showed them raising a beautiful baby boy, with wide, almost mysterious jade eyes. They dreamed of being together, in love, making love, having children, raising children.  
  
Yet it had seemed so familiar. The entire time, there was an intense feeling of deja vu. Along with an even more intense feeling of longing to reveal what Time had taken from them...  
  
But, because of this, she had run away. The world was too scary right now, too many things were happening, too fast. She was so frightened, so frightened of her past... But she wanted nothing more than to uncover the grave that would hold the secrets of what once was, with Zim holding her the entire time, with Eva nuzzled and comfy in her arms.  
  
She bit her lip as she forced herself to apply the ointment. Biting her lip hard enough to draw blood, only muffled moans escaped her throat...  
  
She closed her eyes; she didn't want to see the foaming as the ointment tried to revive her charred skin. It was a terrible sight, and the smell was absolutely sickening. Tears stinging her eyes, she continued this grisly work. Little screams and sobs echoed through her mind, but she dared not allow them to escape her lips. She didn't want to draw any more attention to herself. She sighed in relief as she finished with her last burn, a particularly bad one. She opened her eyes, happy to see that her skin was healed, albeit terribly scarred. She was fine, in her body at least. But in mind, heart, and soul... Oh, that was a different story all together... She didn't know how much more torment she could take before she finally broke...  
  
...What she didn't know was that only blocks away, Zim was already seeing the shining faces of the Gods...  
  
* * * *  
  
ACK! I don't know what got into me to write this chapter like this... I'm so sorry! But maybe somehow Zim will be saved. I certainly hope so, I am a Zim fan after all. I hope it isn't too late...  
  
Speaking of lateness, Happy Belated Birthday KnuxZ!!!  
  
Kay, I'm done now. Till next time. [Insert intelligent comment here] 


End file.
